Instructional Materials Adoption

The “adoption” of instructional materials is a process that occurs at the state and/or local level. During this process, print and digital materials are reviewed and approved for use in elementary and secondary public schools.

Nineteen U.S. states have statutes providing for “state adoptions,” which are administered and implemented by the state board of education and the state department of education. The 19 states are Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. Two other states recently repealed their state adoption statutes: Indiana (2011) and Arkansas (2013).

As part of the adoption process instructional materials are designed and developed in accordance with very specific state criteria. Materials must be carefully aligned with state academic standards. They must also meet criteria regarding content, size, weight, durability, and many other factors. States select instructional programs in various grades and subject levels. Most materials adopted by states are used for six years. Such programs usually include textbooks, study guides, workbooks, online homework helps, websites, teacher editions, and more. Once a state adopts an instructional program, school districts may purchase it for use locally. State adoptions vary in many ways. Some state adoptions are “advisory” in that the state is only issuing a list of recommended books or programs and not requiring that certain materials be used. Other state adoptions require districts to purchase books or programs from the state list. In non-adoption states, school districts (not states) adopt and then purchase instructional materials. Even so, the materials generally must reflect state standards and meet local specifications.

Developing Instructional Content

Publishers use state and local curriculum standards to determine the broad content of instructional materials. Publishing is a highly competitive industry and publishers take different approaches in the learning materials they publish. But, all publishers conduct exhaustive research to develop instructional content. Publishers also rely on the expertise and extensive classroom experience of their authors, development staff, and reviewers to craft content that is accessible to students. Effective content includes the important concepts that all students need to learn, addresses variable learning styles, and incorporates teaching and learning techniques that help ensure student mastery. Each publisher determines the approach it believes will be most effective in the classroom and most competitive in the marketplace.

Development of instructional content is a team effort that is guided by state curriculum requirements for every subject. Within this framework, authors, scholars, and writers conceive the idea for a book, frame a scholarly approach, and write the manuscript. Publishers direct a team of editors, content experts, and reviewers who evaluate the manuscript for accuracy of content, appropriateness of writing style for grade level, adherence to state curriculum guidelines, and effectiveness of the pedagogy. Publishers follow an all-encompassing and detailed quality assurance process as they develop instructional materials.

Manufacturing Specifications

School textbooks are developed and printed in accordance with The Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST). The MSST is intended as a guide to aid the manufacturer, the publisher, the textbook administrator, and the general public. The purpose of the MSST is to maintain appropriate physical standards of quality and performance for elementary and high school textbooks. For more information on how to purchase a copy of the MSST, please click here.

Additional Resources

State Instructional Materials Review Association (SIMRA) is to support state education agencies in affecting student achievement through thorough review of alignment, accessibility and quality of instructional materials. The SIMRA Website has links to each state instructional materials website, as well as reports from their members regarding current and future textbook adoptions.

Advisory Commission on Textbook Specifications (ACTS). ACTS is made up of representatives of the State Instructional Materials Review Association (SIMRA) the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Book Manufacturers' Institute (BMI). The purpose of the commission is to conduct studies and research to determine durability and other pertinent performance factors of elementary and high school instructional materials and to develop and recommend standards and specifications on manufacturing processes and materials for such textbooks in order to maintain appropriate standards of quality and performance. A publication developed by ACTS is the Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks (MSST). To order a copy, click here.

Book Manufacturer's Institute (BMI). BMI membership is comprised of companies that produce the great majority of books ordered by the U.S. book publishing industry.

State Textbook Depositories. Some states require publishers of state-adopted instructional materials to use a central in-state depository or to ship state-adopted materials from within the state. Depositories charge publishers a commission, typically about 8 percent of sales. In other states publishers may ship directly to schools from their own in-state warehouse, without going through a central depository.